Wed.’s Devo - The Sabbath Rest

Read: Leviticus 24:1-25:46; Mark 10:13-31; Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 10:20-21 The menorah in the Holy Place was to be kept burning continually with pure virgin oil brought by the people. It was the priest’s job to keep the menorah lit and keep bread on the table of shew bread. There were to be 12 baked flat loaves, one for each tribe stacked 6 to a stack. The priests were to eat these loaves in honor of the Lord. They represented God’s ongoing expression of the eternal covenant God made with the Israelites. *** One day, a man whose mother was an Israelite but whose father was an Egyptian got into a fight with an Israelite. He blasphemed God and was brought before Moses to receive judgment. God said to take him outside the camp and the ones who heard the curse were to lay their hands on his head and then the entire community were to stone him to death. *** When they put their hands on his head, they were transferring his curse back to him so it wouldn’t affect them. By doing this they were ridding the camp of sin. *** Then a list was given of the consequence of taking another’s life or the life of an animal. *** Chapter 25 is the other instructions Moses was given on Mt. Sinai pertaining to the Sabbath rest for the land, the year of Jubilee and the law of ownership of land. The Sabbath rest for the land happened every seventh year. The land would be planted and harvested for six years then the seventh it would rest and no planting would be done. This gave the earth a chance to rebuild its natural minerals. During this rest, the people could harvest what grew on its own. *** Every seven Sabbath years - 49 years would be counted and the next year (50th) would be a year of Jubilee. It would begin on the Day of Atonement that year with the blast of a ram’s horn. It was a year of freedom. Everyone was to return to the land that belonged to their ancestors and claim their land. All land transactions were made based on this principle. *** This is a picture of the millennia that Christ will reign. We will return to earth and claim our inheritance. *** In Mark, the parents brought their children to the disciples for Jesus to bless but they turned them away saying Jesus didn’t have time for children. Jesus rebuked the disciples and told them to let the children com to him. He explained that the Kingdom of God belongs to people who are like them. He embraced the children and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. *** A man came to Jesus calling him Good Master and wanting to know what he could do to inherit eternal life. Jesus gave him some ‘good’ things he should do. When the man said he had done all of them, Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor and then he would have treasure in heaven; then, take up the cross and follow him. The man was very grieved because he had great possessions. *** This man was looking for a ‘work’ that would get him to heaven and not a way. Jesus gave him a way and that was through dying to himself. He wanted a ‘do’ but Jesus gave him a ‘be’. Jesus explained that with God all things are possible. It was not impossible for a rich man to enter heaven they just had to do it God’s way. Then Jesus gave all the riches that this man could have had in the world to come - the Sabbath rest. Lord, help us to lay down our lives for the gospel and pick up our cross and follow you.